Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers salary in Colorado
The average Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers salary in Colorado is $64,500 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $59,500 to $63,500. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.
The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For Colorado pay, use the state figures above and the state salary questions below.
Total cash compensation
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$71,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$7,500
10.6% of base
Total target cash
$78,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$4,50050th$7,50075th$12,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers is a professional role within the function in the Transportation and Material Moving job family.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
What Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlerss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors.
Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation.
Apply and release hand brakes.
Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones.
Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information.
Top skills:Operation and ControlOperations MonitoringMonitoringSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingActive Listening
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers pay by experience level
Entry level$46,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$54,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$62,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$83,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$104,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+0.3%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
200
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers salary by industry
Rail Transportation
2,290 workers
$80,000
Rail Transportation
2,290 workers
$80,000
Support Activities for Transportation
1,020 workers
$55,000
Support Activities for Rail Transportation
1,020 workers
$55,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
270 workers
$66,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
240 workers
$66,000
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
70 workers
$45,500
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
40 workers
$70,000
Truck Transportation$55,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $51,720 to $60,600.
+17.2% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$46,000
Early career25th percentile
$54,500
Median50th percentile
$62,500
Experienced75th percentile
$83,000
Top earners90th percentile
$104,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Operation and ControlOperations MonitoringMonitoringSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingActive Listening
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors.
Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation.
Apply and release hand brakes.
Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones.
Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$71,000
2027$73,500
2028$76,000
2029$78,500
2030$81,500
2031$84,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers pays 3% above the average across 53 roles in the Transportation and Material Moving job family (family average $69,000).
Similar-paying roles in Transportation and Material Moving
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Colorado salary questions
How much does a Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers make in Colorado?
The average base salary for a Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers in Colorado is $64,500 per year, or about $31.01 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
What is the median Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers salary in Colorado?
The median is $63,000 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $64,500.
What is the typical Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers salary range in Colorado?
The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in Colorado is $59,500 to $63,500 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.
How does Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers pay in Colorado compare with the national average?
The Colorado average of $64,500 is $6,500 (9.2%) below the national average of $71,000. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
Where do these Colorado salary figures come from?
The state figures come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state data. WePayFairly applies the same compounded market movement factor used elsewhere on this page to express the published figures on a 2026 basis. They are estimates, not a guarantee of a particular offer.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
